Apple changed some elements of Liquid Glass in iOS 26 developer beta 3 and it got a lot of feedback online. We’re now moving into the fourth iOS 26 beta, which will certainly be looked at under the microscope in as much detail as possible in this season of change.
The fourth beta of iOS 26 has arrived
Apple describes the upcoming iPhone software update by saying that iOS 26 “delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet.”
In the second iOS 26 beta, we saw design tweaks including clarity improvements in Control Center, better menu organization in Safari, and stronger accessibility options with the addition of borders to High Contrast Mode.
As mentioned earlier, the third beta of iOS 26 added opacity to some of the more transparent tab bars along with new wallpaper colors. Meanwhile, the Notification Center still uses absolute transparency when pulled down until it’s fully open. It seems that this is time to change.
Public beta is imminent
The line between developer beta and public beta has become blurred since Apple made it possible for everyone to test the developer version a few years ago for free. The difference now is mostly about taking risks. The public beta is typically released a week after the third developer beta, giving Apple a full month after WWDC to refine the prerelease program.
Developer betas come in June, public betas come in July, and the final release comes in September. This year, Apple chose to give iOS 26 more time to prepare before opening public beta. Hopefully iOS 26 dev beta 4 is a good representation of what to expect in September. This appears to be a prerequisite for the public beta release.
Is your iPhone ready for iOS 26? The next major software update works on iPhone SE (2nd generation) as well as iPhone 11 and later. iOS 18 is the last version that will run on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. You will need to Upgrade your iPhone If you want the latest features and newest designs, but older iPhones will continue to receive software updates for security for a while. Features using Apple Intelligence require iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any model in the iPhone 16 family.
In the meantime, we’ll be rounding up and listing every iOS 26 beta change and more on 9to5Mac, so stay tuned (and join the fun with tips@9to5mac.com)!
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